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2 million years
ago, life on Earth for mankind was very different. Back then,

technology as we
know it did not even exist. Over the years, mankind?s increased

scientific
knowledge has allowed him to increase the amount of personal
luxuries, but not

without a cost.

The first human
beings may have appeared 2 million years ago, but they did not even
discover fire until 1.5 million BC. From a purely technological
standpoint, todays world far surpasses that of the old. All the
comforts of modern technology are at our fingertips, and living
outdoors is no longer a necessity, but a leisure activity. For most
of us, entertainment is not a problem. Electronic video and computer
games are readily available, as is 24-hour TV ? for a price. Foraging
for food is reduced to a short trip to the supermarket, except for
those who provide the said food. Of course, nothing comes for free,
and the time which might have been spent hunting for food is spent
working in offices and such. In a world of such plentiful knowledge,
only incredibly advanced specialization, and an increased population,
has allowed mankind to progress.

With so many
people, mankind has been forced to spread outwards in a desperate
need to colonize new lands. With new technology, nothing is
impossible, and even the barren wastes of the scorching desert or
freezing artic are not unlivable. Even further outwards, the vast
reaches of space beckon. All this colonization however, would be
impossible without the help of technology for communication and
transportation. With the invention of airplanes, flying halfway
around the world in 10 hours is made possible.

In stark
contrast to all these wonders, prehistoric life before the invention
of farming or herding was a constant struggle for survival. Hunting
and foraging for food were daily activities which occupied most of
the free time. Also, before all the advances in medical knowledge,
diseases or injuries were almost always fatal. What with the harsh
living conditions and dangerous creatures, the average life span was
an appalling 20 to 30 years.

Still, it wasn?t
all bad. For one thing, people of that time didn?t know of all the
failings of modern society, like poverty, oppression, drugs, crime,
or pollution. Technology has sometimes been something of a two-edged
sword. Some of the wounds, such as poverty, have been cut too deep
and may never heal. Back then, people were probably satisfied with
life, if only because it was all they knew.

In conclusion,
modern life has, in some ways improved since prehistoric times,
although for some, it is worse. But for better or worse, all that
matters is the future, and if mankind can make up for some of its
failings, the future will be a much brighter place.

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